Wright’s role clarified

Looking more and more like Lew Perkins and less and less like Mark Mangino. I make no secret that I dislike Lew, his management of our programs, and his lack of respect for Kansas. I wish he'd stayed at UCONN.

November 21, 2009 at 8:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KU fans abuzz over seats

Edit: we all know it's your job to paint Kansas and the rich history in a good light, but it's obvious this is a decision that Kansas fans are going to be very critical of.

August 25, 2009 at 10:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KU fans abuzz over seats

I think from a dollar and cents outlook, this is probably a good idea. Gotta make money. Considering the salaries of everyone involved with KU sports these days, gotta make money some how to pay for it. Add to it building renovations and everything, it's a costly venture.

And I agree with Gary, apart from the live broadcasters, sports reporters don't need to sit on the floor. It's always been a bit of a detraction to have all those sports writers sitting there.

Here's the problem. Every Kansas fan has watched as corporations bought up those lower seats in Allen. We've seen crooks like Wettig and Kivisto plastered all over our tv sets cause they could afford good seats or because they were donating big money. Because of this, we don't have a great deal of confidence in the universities judgement as far as who should be sitting court side at Allen. We watch game after game at chunks of empty corporate seats in the lower rows or as people leave with 5 minutes left in the game. It's glaring to us that Allen is losing its charm, and we all know it's your job

Dollars and Cents don't always equal good ideas.

August 25, 2009 at 10:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

All-Big 12 NBA team full of Jayhawks, Longhorns

yes, Aldrich will be an NBA center if he bulks up. Aldridge was a center at Texas and has played Center when the trailblazers starting centers have been hurt. He's undersized though due to his frame. He is listed by the NBA as a Power Forward, while Greg Oden is the starting center in Portland.

May 9, 2009 at 12:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

All-Big 12 NBA team full of Jayhawks, Longhorns

Good information Eric. Of course, the glaring absence of any centers in all of these lists is worrysome. The only Big XII Center ranked in the top 10 on drum1984's list is Nick Collison. Meanwhile, T.J. Ford is 5th on that list, but he closed out the season riding the pine behind Jarrett Jack and Brandon Rush... Rush meanwhile closed out the season scoring double figures in 12 of the last 13, averaging 17 pts per contest. That's good enough for the starting 2 position on an all conference team when you look at the 2 guards from the Big XII playing today.

1st Team:

PG - Chauncey Billups
SG - Brandon Rush
SF - Paul Pierce
PF - Lamarcus Aldridge
C - Nick Collison

2nd Team:

PG/SG - Mario Chalmers
PG/SG - D.J. Augustin
SF - Kevin Durant
PF - Michael Beasley
PF - No one can defend the 5, but pick your poison: Kleiza, Gooden, Graham

Top 5 Big XII NBA players? Billups, Pierce, Durant, Chalmers, Aldridge

Big XII Player of the Year? Chauncey Billups
Big XII Rookie of the Year? Mario Chalmers

May 6, 2009 at 11:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Sought-after Appleton looking for major minutes

If there's something i've learned watching the NCAA the last few years, it's one and dones don't get the job done. In the last 10 years, Carmelo Anthony's the only one and done with a national title. All the rest of that last 10 title teams were deep with Seniors and Juniors. Is one of these one and done guys really what we need to get back to the title?

Normally I'd say go for Orton. But we've got 5 talented big men. It's at guard that we're weak. Even if Collins stays, we lose him next season. We also lose Mario. What we really need is a guard who can play the 2 next to Tyshawn for that 2010-2011 season. If Bill could find a 3 in the vain of B. Rush, that'd be fantastic. Unselfish, Defensively minded, and a scorer. But it has to be someone who needs 2-3 years to develop.

April 11, 2009 at 8:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KU, UNC deserve credit, too

Now that I re-read that, Past should be paced, and the shot clock was introduced in the early 80s i do believe. I dont think magic or bird ever had a shot clock. There were time clocks for getting the ball over half court, and the 3 second rule was in place in the 60s-70s, but not sure on the shot clock issue.

April 10, 2009 at 2:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KU, UNC deserve credit, too

they can make a big deal out of the Michigan Indiana State game all they want to, the truth of the matter is, it wasn't a very good game. They make a big deal out of it cause it changed how the NBA was played, not cause it changed NCAA ball. Magic and Larry don't rank in anyone's top 10 NCAA player lists that I've ever seen. Those roles are reserved for true NCAA greats. Bird and Magic did their work in the NBA, not the NCAA.

Personally, I break NCAA ball up into 3 distinct periods.
1. Pre-Chamberlain Basketball
2. The Era of the Center
3. The Modern Era

Period 1 of course is the era of Allen and Iba. Fast past ball played by small players. Remember, Clyde Lovellette and BH Born were something to fear in 1952. They were the biggest dudes on the court. Both won MVP honors in the NCAA tourney's early years. The game wasn't originally built around big men like those.

Although players like Lovellette and Born existed, it wasn't til Chamberlain and Russell came that NCAA ball took on a center focus. College offense went straight through them. While on offense, teams had to keep the ball away from them. Waste clock. Keep the scores low. Don't give Wilt a chance to score 50. With their coming came the era of the Center. Teams in the 60s and 70s that were truely great all had dominant centers. It was during this period that the NCAA had to start making rules to force teams to play against these newly discovered big men. Shot Clocks were introduced (although the modern day shot clock is very short in comparison to the shot clock of the 60-70s.)

Now, the Modern Era. Some would argue it came with Alcindor, which I think is balooney. Alcindor was just another Wilt/Russell. The true change in the game, that led to the modern era came in 1986-1987. This of course is when the NCAA, to combat center-centric basketball tactics, put into play the 3 point shot. Basketball since has ceased to be center-centric, and become even more of a game of tactics. It gives smaller teams hope, and saves wear and tear on big men. It makes defenses actually have to defend outside the paint, instead of packing it in. So the 3 pointer changed the game.

Rarely do things change on a dime. There were many changes made over the history of NCAA basketball, but the two major changes that had huge impacts on the game were Wilt/Bill and the introduction of the 3. Outside that, the game changes but at a slow steady pace from year to year.

April 10, 2009 at 2:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

NBA offers tempting

If Sherron signs with an NBA team, his defensive inabuilty will get him benched. You can't play the 1 and not play good defense. That's the most important defensive spot on the team. In Sherron's case, I just don't see it happening. I think Sherron is a short Dee Brown, Some success in college, but his defense and inabuilty to play team ball (cause lets face it, team ball isn't Sherron's game), combined with his height (generous 5'11" means he's 5'9" or even shorter!), he's not going to see court time. I think based on his D-league performance this season, RR has a better shot at making an NBA team and seeing minutes than Sherron. I'm sure I'll take flak for saying that, but that's how I see it.

Cole should stay one more if at all possible. Suton tore his --- up in the Michigan State game. Cole is not ready. He needs to get tougher and bigger, and he needs to get his endurance up. He can't walk up the court and expect to succeed in the NBA.

On the positive side: RR is tearing it up with Reno! He's looking like he's got a good shot to be called up in the future. Brandon has stepped in to a starting role and is scoring over 20 points a game in over 30 minutes court time! Hell yea! And Darnell has taken over as a 12-15 minute a game role player for cleveland. Way to go!

April 4, 2009 at 9:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Lawrence No. 2 on list of "great college basketball towns to visit"

#1 Lawrence
#2 Bloomington
#3 - After #2, who cares?

April 2, 2009 at 11:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )